The Round Cattle Barn, built in 1908 at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds in Lancaster. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

There are still lots of barns in Ohio, but not many of them are round. Why would a farmer want a round barn, anyway, you might ask?

I’m glad you asked. Many people think round barns were built for their aesthetic appeal, but that’s not entirely the case.

See barns and more at Dusty Tires’ Videos page.

Round barns were built primarily to provide more efficient methods for dairy operations. Feeding and milking could be done from a central station, with cows arranged around the center in wedge-shaped stalls. Round barns also required fewer materials to build compared to traditional rectangular-shaped barns. Some even claimed that round barns provided less wind resistance compared to traditional flat-sided barns.

Most round barns were built in Ohio between the 1890s and 1930, primarily due to dairy farming. With the Great Depression of the 1930s, farming also suffered, as did agricultural investments. After World War II, technology provided efficiencies in farming that made round barns unnecessary.

Compared to traditional barns, round barns are rare in Ohio. There are most likely fewer than 10 or 12 truly round barns in existence in Ohio. There are also polygonal barns with multiple sides that form a roughly circular shape.

The J.H. Manchester Round Barn, the largest east of the Mississippi River. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

The largest and most impressive of these is the J.H. Manchester Round Barn, which is reputed to be the largest round barn east of the Mississippi River, measuring 102 feet in diameter. The Manchester barn, built in 1908, is located east of New Hampshire, Ohio, along SR 385 just north of Indian Lake. The barn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The McGaughey Big S Barn in Perry County, built in 1908. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

Other interesting round barns include the McGaughey Big S Barn, built in 1908 and located northeast of Junction City in Perry County, and the Round Cattle Barn at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds in Lancaster, built in 1906. There are also round barns near the towns of Columbus Grove, Lima, Paulding and Van Wert.

So if you want to test your adventurous spirit, jump in the car and go round barn searching some afternoon. It’s a great way to learn more about Ohio’s agricultural past. And learn more about Ohio barns in the Dusty Tires website.

Ken Drenten is creator and manager of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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